


RWBY: The Hunters

by Carterson_the_Mortal



Series: Grimm Rising [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Backstory, Character Focus, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-30
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-02-27 12:59:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2693894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carterson_the_Mortal/pseuds/Carterson_the_Mortal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They are the destroyer of monsters. They are protectors of the innocent. They are Hunters. But to know the story of their heroism, you must first know who they are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Dragon

_"Our passion for justice burns with the intensity of a thousand suns."_

 

She went by many names over the years. Blondie. Sweetheart. Beautiful, though that was only good for the people she liked. But over the past 11 years, one stuck more than any others. It didn’t reflect her beauty, it didn’t demean her. It inspired her, her people. It struck fear in the hearts of those who had the foolishness to mess with her.

 

Dragon. Nicknamed as such for the ornate dragon tattoos that covered her arms. The mouths of the dragons went up to her shoulders, the body and tail wrapping around her muscled arms and ending at her hands, covered up by black fingerless gloves. The body of each dragon was adorned in fire, seen only when she wasn’t wearing her trademark gauntlets, currently in their proper place.

 

She grinned as the large Ursa Major came closer into view. Through the smoke, she could see its red and yellow eyes, its bones protruding from its back. Ursa Majors were normally fairly rare in Patch, of all places. A study published last year by a professor--Oblong, Oblique, Oobleck? One of those--said that there were a little over a dozen of them in Patch, with most of them in the forests of Vale, and a little less than that in Signal.

 

 _Get ready for a Major head, professor_ , she thought as she slipped on her sunglasses. It would help to make sure the blood didn’t get in her eyes. That, and she thought they made her look cool. Which they did, no matter what Miltia said.

 

She took a few steps back, mentally judging the distance. Then a step to the left. This was important. Timing was everything, she’d learned over the years. A breath exited her lips before she ran forward, channeling her years of training for a full sprint, throwing her arms behind her for better speed. She relished the wind rushing through her hair. These were the moments she lived for, this is why she became a Hunter.

 

With a grin, she jumped and fired her gauntlets. The shotgun-like blasts accelerated her time in the air. She fired twice, the Major now quickly becoming more distinguishable through the smoke. The Major raised a paw to swat at what it thought was an arrow.

 

She smirked, curled her fist back, and fired.

 

The Major fell on its back with a thud, a chunk of its face missing from being ripped to shreds. As she expected, blood splattered all over her face, even her sunglasses, but she took it all in stride. The cheers of her men and the rush would always overwhelm some messy clothes.

 

_KRA-KOW!!_

 

She slowly removed her shades, eyes drifting up towards the sky. The typically broken moon was now joined by a large, black mass. It spun slowly, pulsing, releasing thunder and lightning as it grew larger. Large roars echoed throughout Patch as creatures flew out of the black hole, soon followed by screams of terror that even those in Vacuo could hear.

 

“Shit....” she muttered. She groaned. It had to be Grimm. She had been born to slay monsters, and Grimm were...something else. Not like Grimm Classic, like the one she’d just slain. No, those Grimm--New Grimm, they were called by the fanatical--didn’t just feed off negativity. They were _born_ from it, created in a dimension where nothing but hate and strife and sadness were eternal, and thousands, perhaps millions were created every minute of every day. Those who had discovered these New Grimm were never the same, nothing but emotionally drained husks of their former selves. Fighting one was madness. Fighting five was insanity.

 

Just the kind of thing Yang Xiao Long loved to hear.

 

“Talons,” she declared, reloading her gauntlets, “clean up and clear out! We’re wasting money and excitement!”

 

 


	2. The Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are the destroyer of monsters. They are protectors of the innocent. They are Hunters. But to know the story of their heroism, you must first know who they are.
> 
> She has spent her whole life striking when least expected, and then retreating into the darkness. But when she sees oppression, she shall step into the light.

_"Let those who hide like cowards emerge from shadows and step into the light to face judgment."_

* * *

There was nothing worse to Blake Belladonna than being given the power to stop injustice, but being able to do nothing about it. Such was her life as a child at the tender age of 7-old enough to recognize how humanity was biased against the Faunus, but young enough to where nothing could be done on an impactful level. After all, who would listen to a little girl during a riot? Who gave a damn about someone half their size in a shouting match, and was defending those "animals"?

It was only until her fate intertwined with that of him, and more importantly his organization, that she realized that her actions could make a difference. He taught her, trained her to use her hate and passion, and to mold it into something that could cut down oppressors and have her back in the shadows before anyone knew what happened. For a while, she felt like she truly belonged, like this was her path. But then it too was twisted, his horrible words seeping into her mind and replacing her thoughts with his. She wanted to help the oppressed, not kill the oppressors and have them label the Faunus as degenerates and killers. She barely left before the indoctrination could truly begin and what was left would be a heartless criminal who killed and cared little for consequences.

Which left her here, watching as a group of bullies were jerking the horns of a ram Faunus. The boy, he couldn't have been any older than 13 or 14, and here these grown men were, poking and prodding him like an animal, taking his money and kicking him. She recalled the words once spoken by a character in one of her books: 'No child should ever suffer at the hands of a monster'.

So she followed them, careful to stick to the shadows. She had abandoned her jacket a while ago, finding it easier to maneuver without it. Using logical reasoning-the four men looked like the type of people to get drunk so early in the evening-she followed them to a bar, careful to land in the alleyway across the street. She straightened her hair, rolled her shoulders, and stepped out of the alleyway, face neutral. One of them, brown hair slicked back and cockily grinning, walked up to her.

"Well, hello, beautiful," he drawled. "Been looking for me?"

"Something like that," she replied, hands in her pockets. He leaned forward, sniffing her neck. It gave her the perfect opportunity to bring his face down to her knee.

"Cardin!"

While he dealt with his now bloody nose, Blake darted forward, appearing in front of the other three in a flash. A punch to the stomach brought one down, an elbow strike to the nose had the third spinning. The final one was smart enough to actually attack, going for a simple backhand. His hand did indeed hit her cheek, but no crack came. His astonishment at her shadow clone was all she needed to roundhouse kick him in the face. She heard the sound of a gun cocking and a raspy, "Don't move, animal."

Blake looked over her shoulder, eyes narrowing. Cardin, nose bloodied worse than she thought, brought the pistol to the back of her head.

"Yeah, I know what you are. Did you really think you could go unnoticed by cutting your hair and some fancy contacts?"

"So," she spoke slowly, "you're one of them."

Cardin snorted. "Hell, no. I'd rather die than be one of those terrorists. I'm just a bounty hunter they hired, along with another eight or so. Someone really wanted to find you, Belladonna. You got a lot to answer for."

"It's a shame that no one will find you." Her shadow clone dissipated, and Blake drove her sword through Cardin's chest, lifting him off his feet. Normally, she wouldn't take pleasure in the taking of another life-she'd grown out of that years ago-but this was different.  _She_  was different.

_KRA-KOW!_

A black orb formed in the sky, swirling. Thunder and lightning crackled as it grew in size. Blake felt the ground beneath her tremble and a gust of wind hit her face. Something, multiple things, flew and dropped out of the black mass, going who knew where.

Blake Belladonna hated injustice. She hated monsters. She hated that the White Fang nearly turned her into a monster like humanity had labeled the Faunus.

But, as she retreated to the rooftops and headed toward the danger, she remembered that she hated Grimm even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said Blake's chapter was gonna be next week? I lied, it's here now. Blake is a tough character to write around, because we all know she's Faunus and ex-White Fang, so you can't really be secretive about it. But at the same time, there's still aspects to that a writer can explore since it's currently not all that defined. It's a toss-up.
> 
> Next up is Weiss.


	3. The Ambition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her name is Weiss Schnee. She's the daughter of one of the richest people on the planet. What does she want that money can't buy?
> 
> Freedom.

_"Our resolve is cold as ice. We shall not waver, we shall not hesitate."_

* * *

_O clock, o clock on the wall...when the fuck will this meeting be over?_

That was the most occurring thought to Weiss as she sat in the room with the board of directors. They'd been droning on about her finances and the quarterly reports for something like the past hour and a half. Normally, she'd pay rapt attention, but for the life of her, she just couldn't today.

Was it because she hadn't had her coffee in the morning right before her strict exercise regimen? Was it because she didn't let off any excess energy by practicing her mother's assignment? Because she hadn't sang today, like she normally did?

Perhaps it was because of the news that her  _oh so lovely sister Winter,_ (and god, if those words didn't make her want to shove a purse down her throat) would be arriving sometime next week. It meant, of course, that the 28-year-old would be scrutinizing every single thing about her little sister and Weiss would be walking on eggshells the entire time, careful to do everything like father had taught them. How ironic was it that the daughter and second heiress of one of the world's top PMC/security companies felt like she had no security in this family? If there was a god, she had a sick sense of humor.

She'd been born with everything she could ever hope for. Money, fame, great genes, talent. What more could she want? What else could the daughter of two of the richest people in the known world, who profited off a company that saved more lives than modern medicine and the Hunters of old combined need in her 23-year-old life?

"Ms. Schnee!"

Weiss's eyes flitted over to her far right. An older, portly man, with the thickest mustache she'd ever seen, leveled a glare at her. The board knew to show their respect towards their boss's daughter when he was around, but once he was out of sight lines, they treated her like one of those Faunus who worked in the Dust mines.

Not that she was to know about any of that, of course.

"Yes, Mr...Haddick?"

"It is pronounced Had-dock," the fat man spat. "And we were wondering if you perhaps had any thoughts on our new Dust crystal line we're set to reveal in two months? This is the one we're trying to market to a more...feminine audience."

She groaned internally. "Well, for starters, I don't think you should focus on the 'feminine audience' specifically. You should just include more women in your marketing, be inclusive. Or have you forgotten who began this empire?"

Weiss wasn't sure if mustaches could convey emotions, but Haddock's had to have thinned immensely as his lips flattened. "And need I remind  _you_ , little girl, that we've been doing more for the Schnee name in this room for the past 30 years than you have doing your little tricks in the park with your mother?"

"Watch yourself, Ha- _dick_ ," Weiss rose from her seat slowly. "You know how powerful my mother is. How many tricks do you think she's...taught..." Her eyes drifted to the skyline behind him. There was a black orb next to the moon, swirling...what was-

_KRA-KOW!_

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" she shouted.

She heard the explosion faster than she saw it. Through the walls of the boardroom, it came out muted, but she knew through plenty of movies that it was nothing to scoff at. The ground shook everything off the tables. The glass cracked. She only had one shot at this.

As the glass broke completely, Weiss jumped on top of the table and threw her hands out. She heard the sound of crunching, but couldn't bring herself to look. It was only until the shaking stopped and the rattling of glass ceased that she forced herself to open her eyes.

"It...it worked," she muttered to herself in shock. Her hands glowed white as the dome of ice slowly receded away. Most astonishing of all was how she didn't feel exhaustion at all. A dome of half this size just for herself always left her feeling like she ran three marathons without stopping, but with this, there was no exhaustion at all.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked, though she didn't look at anyone for confirmation. She was still stuck on that orb in the sky, those black shadows emerging out of it. What was it? Who caused it? And why did the thrill of its mystery excite her?

"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen," Weiss dusted off her skirt before walking calmly out of the room. "I have some tricks to use."

Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee fortune. Next in line to run the Schnee Security Corporation and youngest daughter of two. 23 years old. As of today, the one thing she had wanted for the past 5 years had come to her. It was something money couldn't buy, a thing that batting her eyelashes at daddy wouldn't make come faster.

Freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Weiss. In this world, her family is one of the largest security companies in the world that also dabble in other means of money. This'll be explored a good amount of time in Grimm Rising, particularly with Ruby and Yang. Let's just say she won't be liked by one of them right off the bat, and by the other one a lot. 
> 
> The purpose of these character-focused pieces is to first off, establish the world, and to also help me get a feel for each character as I write them. There are gonna be some ways that I deviate from how the characters in the show actually are, and I want to make sure that I'm doing a good job.
> 
> Next up is our favorite red-haired child. That's right, next time is Nora!


	4. The Reaper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her name is Ruby Rose.

_"We shall end our enemies, and their blood will run red down our blade. They made their choice, as have we."_

* * *

Her name is Ruby Rose. She's 21 years old, lives in an apartment with her best friend-only friend, if she's being honest with herself-Zwei III.

And currently, she is dodging the swipes from the claws of a creature that looks like a Beowulf and an Ursa. Because as if the day wasn't bad enough with her parts not coming in for her project due next Tuesday and dropping her phone in a puddle, there had to be a black hole in the sky pumping out Grimm and some giant Grimm and lightning, and she's pretty sure she saw like a Nevermore the size of a double decker bus-

_Focus,_ she tells herself. She rolls out of the way again, grinning at the Golem-with the bony protrusions and nothing but the eyes visible, it fit in her mind-hitting nothing but air. She reaches behind her back and pulls out a long, red sniper rifle. Her thumb presses a button above the trigger, and the barrel stretches out further, also producing a thin, silver blade.

Crescent Rose.

Grinning again, she pulls the trigger and propels herself forward, angling her body towards the Golem's stomach. Mentally judging the space between her and the blade, she throws her arms forward, swiping at the beast's belly. Gracefully, she landed on her feet and looked up to admire her handiwork. The Golem was, surprisingly, unharmed. In fact. "Grimm Anatomy 110" didn't tell her about these things.

_Let's try that again,_ she thinks to herself. She runs forward, spinning Crescent Rose and swiping at the Golem. Hit after hit lands on the beast, who didn't even so much as flinch at the blade hitting his skin.

"Oh come _on_ ," she groans as she runs away. "This is the worst day of my life!" She turns her head to see if the Golem was following her. And thankfully, it wasn't. In fact, it had turned its attention towards a family.

With determination in her eyes, Ruby jogs backward, flexing her fingers on her rifle grip. Once she determines the appropriate distance and takes a step to the right, she charges forward. With a yell, she runs as fast as she can, tapping into her adrenaline. She had one shot at this. Her fingers is itching on the trigger, waiting for the perfect moment. She's getting closer, closer...

_Gotcha._

She pulls the trigger at the right moment. She hears screaming and a roar as she spins in the air before landing on one knee, Crescent Rose resting on her shoulders. She turns around slowly, keeping her weapon raised just in case. Just as she hoped, the Grimm is dead, neatly sliced in half from her attack.

"Are you alright?" she walks over to the family. Two older women, a girl just a few years younger than her, and a little girl about five or six. They nod, and Ruby collapses Crescent to help them up. They have blood on the bottom of their pants and shoes, but otherwise, they're fine.

"It's not safe here," she says in a tone that's not entirely hers. Normally around people, she's shy, but now she sounds more mature. Hardened. "I saw police lights a few blocks east. They might have search parties looking for other civilians. They can get you somewhere secure. Do you think you can get there on your own?"

"Yeah, we should be fine," the first adult replies. "It looks like all those monsters cleared this area out. Probably went to go find others."

Ruby grimaces. "Don't think about that. Right now, you need to get your family to the police. They'll take care of you."

"Where are you going to go?"

"There may be other people who need help. I'm going to try and direct them to the search parties, or at least clear a path for the police to find more of you." She gets on one knee again and prepares to run.

"Thank you," they all say.

"Just be careful. If you see any more of those things, keep heading east, no matter what. Someone will find you and help you. I promise."

"Are you a Hunter?" the girl a few years her junior asks. Ruby takes a moment to look at her. The green eyes and blonde hair combined with the brown skin make her look almost like an angel in to her. The girl's eyes are full of fear, but also...excitement? Despite the more than likely small age difference between them, Ruby remembers that look in her own eyes not too long ago. She smirks and speeds away, no doubt leaving the family perplexed at her lack of an answer.

Her name is Ruby Rose. And tonight is proving to be more exciting than she could've anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, Team RWBY is introduced. You can see them come together and kick ass in Grimm Rising, due in January. It'll have action, it'll have humor, it'll have puns, and most importantly, it'll have Jaune getting hit in the face sometimes. 
> 
> Next up is Team JNPR.


	5. The Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaune Arc really must've pissed off some higher being, because this may the worst day of his life.

_"Throughout all my struggles, all my strifes, one thing comes to mind. Truly, what have I done to deserve this? Am I a good man being punished by a cruel god? Or am I an awful person getting what has been coming to me for years? All I know is that whenever I try to do a good thing, I am punished. When I do bad, I am punished. What does the universe wish for me to be?"_

* * *

Eventually, Jaune knows that he's going to have to keep his mouth shut. There's going to be one moment where he says the wrong thing to the wrong person and next thing he knows, people are dead or he's dying and his killer is taunting him and thanking him. The way the universe has treated him over the past four years, it wouldn't be out of character for it to just shit on his life some more.

"Is that..." Jaune winces, "all you got?" He turns around to face his attackers, blood dripping down his cheek and eye swelling. He's not a doctor, but he's also fairly certain that he lost a tooth somewhere around the fourth or fifth punch to the face.

He  _really_ hates Thursdays.

"You got a lot of nerve trying to be a smartass, Arc," the leader sneers. He's big, way bigger than Jaune, and tattoos are covering his arms. Which Jaune thinks is douchebag code for "I'm a douchebag", but he's not entirely sure. This guy is still a douchebag, though.

"Hey, hey, I just came to drink, like everyone else," Jaune defends. He walks over slowly to the guy-Ryan? Jack? He doesn't know, and honestly doesn't care that much.

"I caught you shoving your tongue down my girlfriend's throat."

"I didn't know she was single."

"She said you weren't staying at home lately." He rose his hands to the guy slowly, putting them on his hips. "Are you mad because I was making out with your girlfriend,  _or,_ or...were you mad because you didn't approve of me first?"

The guy looks at Jaune, then away, then Jaune again. Jaune shruggs when their eyes meet again and whispers, "You two had talked about adding another. That's why you've been sleeping at your friend's, isn't it?"

"I mean...I'm just not sure if I'm ready like I said I was. This is a significant step in our relationship, and she-"

"Ryan, you never had that conversation! He's just distracting you!" The guy to his left shouts.

Jaune springs into action. His head connects with Ryan's leaving him open for a throat punch. He pushes Ryan to the ground to focus on his loudmouth friend. The guy throws a right hook that catches Jaune off guard, but he recovers quickly and dodges the second punch to deliver one to his attacker's right flank. The guy groans, even as he tackles Jaune to the ground and start beating on him.

Never has Jaune wished he learned to unlock his Aura more than right now.

The attack on his body is interrupted, to his thanks, but also his horror. The poor son of a bitch gets lifted by something that had to have been the size of three Nevermores. He's screaming his head off, it barely distinguishable from the screeches of the bird.

On one hand, the guy had it coming. Jaune had nothing to lose from some guy getting devoured by a super Grimm or whatever that was, especially when said guy was trying to turn his face into mashed potatoes just 20 seconds earlier. On the other hand..

"Goddammit," Jaune mutters as he runs after them. He isn't the fastest runner, he'd be the first to admit, but he barely manages to grab hold of its left wing before it takes to the sky again. Now came the hard part. Slowly, he reaches for the knife hidden inside his belt loops and angles it. He can see its glowing red eye, albeit barely. And one toss meant the difference between life and death.

He flips the knife so the tip is held in his fingers. He's seen videos of people doing this before-his favorite is the one by this guy named Felix who can hit nearly any target with a knife. He breathes in and out. In...and out.

_One...two..._

Three.

The knife leaves his fingers. For Jaune, it feels like time has slowed down. The knife spins and spins toward the giant Nevermore's eye. He's almost certain that he missed.

It doesn't.

It screeches at the pain in its eye. Its wings flail wildly and starts bucking like it's on fire. Instead of flying high above the city, it descends back into the city, crashing and skidding into an open street full of cars.

Jaune isn't sure how he's alive and left with only some scars, but he's not about to complain. Maybe some higher power still held him in decent regards after all. He runs over to check on the beast's meal and lets out a sigh of relief. The guy is unconscious, and his left leg is broken, but aside from that, he's fine. He makes his way to the body and picks him up and away from the corpse.

"Really hope this doesn't come back to bite me," Jaune mutters as he fishes around his pockets for his Scroll. It's still intact, and he presses dial. He clears his throat before responding in a high pitched and raspy voice, "Oh god, this giant thing just came out of the sky and crashed! It had someone with him, and I think he's dead!"

 _"Sir, calm down,"_ the paramedic orders.  _"Does he have a pulse?"_

"B-barely. His leg's broken, too! I dunno what to do!"

_"Where are you?"_

"I-I'm at Zech Avenue...please, I don't know what to do!"

_"Sir, we're on our way, just stay with him."_

Jaune hangs up, then scoffs. Stay with the dead giant bird and the dude who made him see stars? Yeah, not happening. He props the body next to a lamppost, then runs.

"Aw, come  _on!_ "

Until he's stopped by a Deathstalker with not one, but  _two_ tails, both with very gold, very sharp stingers.

Scratch whatever he thought minutes ago. Any higher power who holds him in decent regard also has a twisted ass sense of humor.


	6. The Champion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pyrrha Nikos, the Champion. A defender of the helpless. A Hunter in all but name.

_"My whole life, people have made me out to be a goddess among mortals. Those who do not envy me, desire me. Is this all that I am to people? A standard to strive towards, a record to beat? A prize? I do not do these things for the fame. I do them because I know that in my heart, they are the right thing to do."_

* * *

Slice, jab, throw, run, stab, kick, catch.

The beast is felled. She doesn't know what it is-in all honesty, it looks like like a slightly larger version of a Deathstalker, but the stinger is longer and the impact of the tip against Akoúo̱ nearly puts a dent in it, so trying to figure out what it's called is slightly lower on her list of priorities behind killing the thing and making sure these shellshocked civilians are okay. She hasn't eaten all day, and she's certain that  _something_  will ache tomorrow morning when this is all said and done, but until then, protecting this family is her objective.

"Is everyone alright?" she turned around to ask. They're all women, each with skin slightly darker than her own. One of them, has to be at least 18 or 19, with green eyes and blonde hair walks up to her, awestruck.

"You...you're...you're Pyrrha Nikos!"

 _Not this again,_ she mentally groaned. "I am. And right now, we need to get moving. I know there's some police out looking for civilians-"

"You're  _Pyrrha Nikos._ I...I have all your videos on my phone! I follow your diet and exercise tips! I  _smash_ my enemies playing as you in  _Cabal of Champions-_ "

Pyrrha sighed and morphed Miló into its rifle form. Without any emotion, she shot a flying beast down, and it landed between her and the family.

It couldn't be bigger than a kitty.

"Listen to me," she said slowly. "You're not safe with me. I'm going to take you to the police, then search for more survivors. Stick close, and don't touch anything that looks dangerous. Understood?"

The family nodded again. Good. It's easier when they cooperate instead of being star struck. Thankfully, dispatching these monsters is easy when there are plenty of metal objects around for her to use. As she shields her face from the claws of a large Beowolf, she remembers a piece of advice given to her by her oldest teacher, Carolina Brown: " _Fighting is basically a game of luck. Like cards. Be careful that you don't show your hand too early. Look at who you're playing with, get a good read on them."_

Pyrrha's eyes drifted to each of her foes. Three Beowolves. The Beowolves have no apparent leader between them, they just wait for a roar of attack before charging forward. Behind one of them is a stop sign. Not big enough to kill them singlehandedly, but could be used as a barrier between her and their teeth.

" _Once you've finally got your opponents read, look at your own hand."_

Both Miló and Akoúo were strapped to her back, still functional, but she herself is certain that one claw swipe got into the skin, past her Aura. Nothing she can't temporarily hold back, but she will need stitches. So much for the Invincible Girl.

" _Then, when you're ready...lay your cards on the table."_

Pyrrha charged forward, throwing Akoúo at the Beowolf on her left and hitting it right in the forehead. She flipped over its unconscious form and threw her hand out to summon the stop sign into her fingertips, using it to thwack the second Beowulf and then spin kick it in the jaw. Her time in the air was short, but it gave her the time she needed to flick her fingers forward and direct Miló to the third Beowulf's eye. Once her back hit the ground, Milo returned to her fingers so she could impale the remaining Beowulf.

"Let's go," she ordered. The family once again followed her, the girl from earlier muttering about how it was "so cool". Normally, Pyrrha would feel a bit irritated by the praise, but there was something about her words. She sounded so fascinated, not just by the warrior's appearance, but by the way she moved and how these Grimm were. In some ways, it reminded Pyrrha of herself.

Thankfully, she did find a group of police officers looking for civilians, and left the family in their capable hands, as she said she would.

"Miss Nikos, we got reports of a large herd of those things in the Forever Fall forest," one of the cops told her. "Apparently there are two Hunters already on the scene doing what they can to save some campers that were nearby when the explosion happened."

Pyrrha nodded. "I'm on my way." And with that, she was off.

Getting to the Forever Fall forest from the city normally took about 20 minutes. It was so large and expansive that there were three access points set up with 24/7 watch. Every two hours, a shift of Rangers would venture into the forest to search for people, contraband, or sightings of Grimm.

Pyrrha had only been to the forest a few times, the first as a child. She ventured too far from her group and was lost for nearly four hours before she was found by a rescue party. The other times she'd been, it was part of her training, to learn patience and how to stay silent when tracking prey. It was how Beiwolves and Ursas managed to get the jump on their targets. They blended in with the forest, using the constant red forestry to hide their dark appearance.

Flipping up the scope on Miló, she's thankful for the training spent in the forest. She was worried her bronze skin and armor would draw attention to the monkey-like Grimm scampering the trees, but they were all blissfully unaware, allowing her to scope it out for sign of the pair of Hunters. Nothing. She jumped off her branch and continued down.

 _Let's see here..._  She thought as she brought the rifle to her eye again. There were a bunch of dead Grimm, she noted. She followed the trail of bodies and saw a girl, definitely younger than her. Wearing a red sweatshirt and twirling...

 _A Scythe-Sniper?_ Pyrrha's eyes widened.  _But those things were outlawed years ago!_

Another woman caught both Pyrrha and the girl's attention, walking past the young girl calmly with her head vent down. This one had to have been older than Pyrrha, skin slightly lighter that matched her raven black hair. The woman raised her head slightly, revealing a pair of golden eyes.

Had a large boom not echoed through the forest, Pyrrha would've pursued the mysterious woman. As it was, she was heading towards the source of the explosions. This woman and the girl in red would have to wait.

 _Oh god..._ she thought as she found the source. The two Hunters.

A man with tan skin, long black hair in a pony tail, a purple streak running down the left side. His green tailcoat had a little bit of dirt on it, but was otherwise clean. To his right, a short redheaded woman holding a grey grenade launcher.

Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie.

Perfect.


	7. The Calm and the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He is the gentle wind signaling a tornado. A silent predator. She is the rumble and the earthquake. Anarchy incarnate. Lie Ren. Nora Valkryie.

_"I am the silent passion. I am the fire that brews inside us all. Do not let my nature fool you into thinking that I am timid, or weak, or a precious child that needs constant coddling. I unleash all that I have when it is truly needed. My silence does not mean I will not fight with all that I have."_

_"You may think me loud, boisterous, destructive. And those are all true. But what you do not know is why I am. I am for those who cannot speak for themselves, I am for the ones who find to not be strong enough against those that do them harm. I am loud, boisterous, destructive, not because I do not care or lack empathy. I am all these things to show that I care."_

* * *

 

He is the gentle wind signaling a tornado. A walk one has alone as they contemplate their future. The scout that observes the enemy in the shadows before the troops come. The calm. A predator who lurks in the shadows, trailing his prey until the moment is perfect for him to strike.

 

She is the rumble _and_ the earthquake. The chaos, the wild destruction that can ruin a city or bring an enemy to their knees. While her enemy is neatly laid out, her methods of disposal are messy, causing collateral damage, all of which she causes with a smile on her face. Despite her size, those who know of her know that she is anarchy incarnate, a storm of explosions, laughing, and whimsy.

 

Lie Ren. Nora Valkyrie. The calm and the storm.

 

"It looks like we all had the same idea to come here," a voice says from behind. The pair turn around and see none other than Pyrrha Nikos.

 

"Yep!" Nora smiles, resting her grenade launcher on her shoulder. "Ren and I were just relaxing here when we hear this giant 'whoosh'! Then all these sodding Grimm came out of that thing!" She pointed up at the black swirling mass. “Luckily we had our weapons on us, or we’d be toast! Or would we be pulp? Is there a difference when you’re talking about dying?”

 

Pyrrha sighs. Ren can’t blame her, for as long as he’s known and been friends with Nora, there are times when her scatterbrain and constant energy can get to be a bit much. He offers the Champion an apologetic look before nudging Nora to continue.

 

“Right. Anyway, we’ve been fighting these things ever since, trying to get to whatever made all this happen! Buuuuuuut, we haven’t had any luck. Y’know, because of the Grimm. One of them was like a King Taijitu, only it had like four heads and one of them could like, spit acid and--”

 

Ren claps a hand over Nora’s mouth. “These new Grimm are different than what we usually face. Tougher, sharper claws. One got through my Aura and into my skin with just one swipe,” Pyrrha frowns.

 

“We should totally team up and close that big swirly thing,” Nora grins. “Like that one time in Mantle! You can do your shield thing, and I can use ol Magnhild here to shoot stuff, and Ren can do his whole silent thing! Like he’s doing right now!”

 

Ren and Pyrrha both roll their eyes. “Let's just find the source of this and end it."

 

They continue down the forest, Ren taking point. Nora is in the back, her fingers gripping Magnhild tightly. Normally, she’d try and talk to Pyrrha, catch up. But this is serious. Well, more serious anyway.

 

“What’s up?” Pyrrha asks when Ren holds a fist up to tell them to stop. He curls a finger up, then softly pushes the gladiator back a few steps. He extends his left hand out, a green submachine gun falling out of the sleeve. With a snikt, a blade extends out from the muzzle. He brings it up to his face and closes his eyes, breathes in. Out. In. Out.

 

He moves in a flash.

 

His right leg is thrown forward, tripping a red blur. As it remains in the air, his free hand slams the blur to the ground while his other, clutching Storm, brings the blade to its throat. The thing, in question, is a young woman, early 20s, with black hair and red highlights.

 

“Um...hi?” the woman grins sheepishly. “I’m so sorry, I thought you were a Grimm, but I couldn’t see you that well because it’s dark and my scope doesn’t have night vision so I just assumed--”

 

“Waaaaaaiiiiiiit,” Nora narrows her eyes. She jumps over to the woman, excitement in her eyes. “You have...a Scythe-Sniper? No way! These things were outlawed like, 10 years ago after--”

 

“Why are you here?” Pyrrha asks, clapping a hand over the Mantlian Hunter’s mouth.

 

“I saw people running out of the forest and thought I could help,” the woman answers. “But it’s been nothing but Grimm.”

 

Ren moves Storm from her throat, helping her to her feet. She looks at him, then to Pyrrha and Nora. Her eyes widen. “No way...are you guys Hunters? Real ones?”

 

Nora nods enthusiastically. “Yeeeeep, we are! Three of the best damn Hunters in the business! Well, real Hunters anyway. In some places, I am known as the Queen of the Castle! The Vengeful Valkyrie! But you may call me...Nora. And the guy who tried to cut you open is my pal Ren. He's sorry about that, by the way."

 

“Right... I’m Rose. Er, Ruby Rose, I mean."

 

Again, Pyrrha's eyes widen. "Rose...like Summer Rose?"

 

Ruby looks away before answering, “We should find out where all these Grimm came from. Maybe try to shut it down.” She quickly runs runs ahead of Pyrrha to take the lead towards the source of the increasingly bright light. Pyrrha directly behind her, with Nora and Ren trailing behind. Ren nudges her shoulder, getting her attention.

 

“What’s up?” Nora whispers.

 

His eyes narrow. _The girl, Ruby. Something seems...off. She’s hiding something._

 

“Hmm...maybe I should break her legs...”

 

A headshake. _Not_ that. _Pyrrha asked her about Rose, and she just avoided the question._

 

“Maybe Rose was her teacher? I mean, everyone said that Rose was like the most ultra greatest Hunter of all time.”

 

He shrugs. Maybe. _Or maybe...._

 

Their “conversation” is cut short by the two of them bumping into Pyrrha’s back. Her and Ruby had crouched low beneath the bushes, studying the source of the light. In the center of the forest was a three-pronged device, a black, swirling mold in the center. Lightning crackled from it, extending to the black mass higher in the sky next to Remnant’s shattered moon.

 

 _That doesn’t look good_ , Ren thinks. He quickly makes her up into the trees, the others following him.

 

“That machine must be what’s caused all those Grimm to come out,” Pyrrha mutters. Beside her, Ruby turns to Nora, eying her grenade launcher. The redhead grins and nods fervently.

 

“I got this,” Nora whispers, already taking aim at it. She squeezes the trigger, and out comes a round with a pink heart at the tip. The volley hits in the dead center before curving into the mold.

 

“What?!” Ruby hisses. “Are you kidding me right now? What a crock of--”

 

The mold explodes, no doubt from Nora’s grenade. The lightning crackles in the sky towards the black void before dissipating completely. Smoke billowed from the wreckage of the machine, the boom of the explosion echoing in the forest.

 

Then came the growl.

 

“Oh, man,” Ruby mutters. Pyrrha draws out Miló in preparation.

 

“Ah, balls,” Nora grimaces.

 

Ren narrows his eyes. _Not good._

 

There, in the remains of the device is a large Grimm. A very, very large Grimm.

 

And it is _pissed_.


	8. Ground Zero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two days after the chaos, there's two cops, and two things that make this the worst week of Ruby's life.

_"A Grimm time for the people of Remnant! That's what some clever people are coining the recent 48 hours. Last night, a strange wormhole opened up in the sky, and from that emerged what some scientists are calling New Grimm. As of 4 hours ago, no more these New Grimm have come out of this wormhole, but some believe this 'peace' is only temporary. Sightings of these creatures include Atlas, Patch, Vacuo, and Mistral, and some people are even saying they're seeing other wormholes in those lands, albeit smaller. Civilians have been advised to travel in groups. Schnee Security founder Alton Schnee and Atlesian General James Ironwood have promised to increase their presence around the four kingdoms and will be setting up Grimm sensors in major areas across the world. As for who or what caused these beasts to arrive? No one knows, though some say the origin lies in the Forever Fall forest in Vale. Others blame the White Fang, citing an alleged video where a White Fang protester said that humankind would face the "wrath of the gods very soon". Whatever the case, it is unlikely this will be ended quickly."-Meghan Free, reporter for The Know_

* * *

**Ground Zero**

 

"Tell me exactly what happened."

Ruby sighed. "Everything?"

"Everything."

"Everything?"

"Ev-er-y-thing."

"...Everyth-"

"Look kid," the police officer snapped, "if you don't start talking right now, we'll arrest you for obstruction of justice."

She scoffed, "What are you gonna do, handcuff me?" She looked down at her right hand, which actually was handcuffed to the rail of her medical bed. "Okay, never mind."

"Stop dicking around, Rose," she pointed a finger at Ruby, "we know you were in the Forever Fall forest the night all this went down."

"Talked to the people you came with," the second cop said. "They said you found them, then joined up with them when they went to the explosion site-"

"Ground zero," Ruby corrected slowly. "I-I-isn't that what they call those places when things like this happen?"

He shrugged. "I suppose. So...what happened at 'ground zero'?"

She sighed. "Where should I start?"

* * *

**Then.**

 

That...was a big Grimm. Bigger than the Golem she fought back in the city, with bigger spikes and heavier armor, that was for sure. Wisps of darkness emanated from its body, like its black skin was trying to escape the prison it was in. It was a Behemoth of a Grimm, towering over most of the trees. Its teeth tore into the machinery with wild abandon, scraping against the metal harshly.

"That is  _not_  like the other ones," Ruby whispered to Pyrrha. The Champion nodded slowly, struck with what the redhead could only guess was fear. In the corner of her eye, she could see Ren and Nora grip their weapons tightly.

"I don't think it's seen us yet," Pyrrha whispered. "But we have no idea how good its sense of smell is, or even if there's a weak spot."

Ruby thought for a moment, then turned to Ren. "You're fast. Do you think you could look for a weakness without being spotted?"

The East Mistralian nodded, then jumped to another tree. Ruby turned to Nora, looking at her hammer, then Akouō in Pyrrha's hand.

"How hard can you hit with your hammer?" Ruby whispered to the Viking.

"Pretty hard," she admitted, "but I think I'd need a few hits to put a dent in it, and I don't think it'll give me a chance to do that."

"What are you thinking?" Pyrrha asked as Ren returned. He shook his head. No weaknesses. Damn.

"I'm fast enough that I could attack it before it knew where I was," Ruby said before looking at Ren, "and I bet you are, too."

"You want us to distract it?" Pyrrha raised an eyebrow.

"Keep it off balance", she corrected. "You attack, then me and Ren, then Nora, and repeat. One of us has to get a crack in its armor."

"You can count on me, Commander Rose," Nora saluted. "Ooh, Ren, maybe this is a good time to show off your new thing!"

Ren shrugged. He dropped StormFlower into his hands, then pressed the ends of the handles together. Pushing the triggers forward, the blades pushed out until they were the length of a staff.

"Whoa," Ruby's eyes widened. "A Guan Dao? That is  _so coo_ -uh, I mean. He and I will strike when you two throw it off balance."

Pyrrha nodded. "Nora, you can get a little...chaotic. It's best I go first."

"Right-o, boss lady!" She saluted again.

Pyrrha unsheathed Akouō. She broke off into a run, yelling to draw the Goliath's attention. Once it came charging towards her, she dodged its swipe with her shield and bashed it in the face. It lunged its jaw forward; Pyrrha spun to the right, brandishing Miló into sword mode and stabbing it in the eye.

"Incoming!"

The Champion barely rolled out of the way in time for Nora to charge in, taking a huge swing at its jaw. She spun to the side and morphed Magnhild to its grenade launcher form. Three rounds struck the Goliath in its arm.

"All yours!" She yelled.

In a flash, Ruby opened up Crescent Rose to its scythe form and swung at the weakened limb. A gunshot propelled her forward and sliced it clean off.

"Aw yeah!" She grinned. "I am soooooo..."

The Goliath roared. Slowly, the stump where its arm used to be shook. Shadows poured out of it, merging together into one thick wave until it morphed into a newly grown arm.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

Again, the Goliath roared and made a straight beeline for her. Quick as ever, Ruby ran as far from it as she could. She pressed a button on the right of Crescent Rose's handle. The scythe morphed into its sniper form, then shortened the barrel.

Never had she felt more grateful to read that book on tri-mode weapons.

Her aim with an assault rifle wasn't as perfect as her aim with a sniper, but that didn't stop the brunette from trying. The rounds bounced off its armor, and only seemed to agitate it.

"Don't forget about us, ugly!"

At that moment, Nora chose to come, hammer swinging right for its leg. Pyrrha followed it up with a throw from her shield and swipes from her sword.

"Ren, now!"

The only male in their little four-person team jumped into the air, twirling his Guan Dao. He shoved it in the beast's eye, wiggling it in to go deeper. His hand wrapped around the top half and morphed it back to its standard SMG form and he fired in the other eye.

"Switch!" Ruby yelled. Ren quickly jumped off the Goliath's face, giving her a clear opening to slice its armor in half with Crescent Rose. At the last moment, the Goliath swatted Rose away and dug its teeth into her right own cries of pain were drowned out by Nora's yell. The last thing she saw was Pyrrha charging at it with everything she had.

* * *

**Now.**

 

"The doctors said it took out most of my Aura, but if it bit any deeper..." Ruby trailed off, rubbing her bandaged arm.

"Told you that's how it happened, Kellman," the first cop grinned. She turned to Ruby and said, "he thought you were trying to impress the Invincible Girl like some fan."

"Sorry for making such assumptions, Ms. Rose," Kellman amended. "I was simply speculating to Officer Tīni based off of what we'd heard from gossip and without getting information from those actually there at the forest."

Tīni snickered. "Jeez, Lucas, you wanna give her a foot massage while you're at it?"

"I know you have no love for protocol and rules, Hautau, but some of us take things like this seriously," Kellman rolled his eyes.

Ruby shrugged. It wasn't like she wasn't a huge fan of Pyrrha, and maybe she was trying to be a bit more mature than she usually was to show off to her. "Don't worry about it, dude. But, ah, how are the others?"

"Valkyrie and Ren are alright, all things considered," Tini answered. Nikkos has some scars and will need to take it easy for a few days, but nothing too fatal. All things considered, the four of you are all pretty lucky."

A loud scream rang through the hallway. Kellman and Tīni barely had time to react before the door was thrown off its hinges by none other than the corpse of a Boarbatusk. Or at least, what was left it, since half its face had been blown off.

"Wǒ zhīdào tā zài zhèlǐ! Tā zài nǎlǐ?!"

Ruby's eyes widened.  _No. Nononono. Please no, anyone but her..._

Coming right around the corner was a woman Ruby dreaded seeing. A woman she preferred getting 8 months worth of homework over seeing her face ever again. Ruby never thought she could despise-no,  _hate_  anyone the way she hated her.

Her sister...

Yang Xiao Long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of things to note about last chapter and this one. 
> 
> 1) In this, Ren can speak, he just doesn't always feel the need to. He and Nora have been together (but not "together" together) for years, and she's gotten good about reading his facial expressions and figuring out what he's trying to say.
> 
> 2) Each chapter will start with a news report, documentation, or SOMETHING to show just how big this event was around the world. For some places, this is awful. Other places, not so much.
> 
> 3) The reason Ruby dreads seeing Yang will be explained in the next chapter. Let's just say, they've got issues to work through. (Yang's words in Chinese are "I know she's here! Where is she?!" They were translated from Google, so I apologize if they're inaccurate.)
> 
> Schnee ya next time!


	9. Fiery Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As if being in a hospital isn't bad enough, there's sisters to deal with, liars to catch in the act, and some heiress acting like she cares.

" _Frankly, ma'am, after the War, the Hunters have been nothing but an old dog that just doesn't have the decency to lay down and die. My company has been protecting the people of Remnant much better-and with_ less  _collateral damage, might I add-in five years than the Hunters have done in 20. We're modernizing security and protection for all the people like my father dreamed of as a young man 70 years ago. That these so called 'heroes' are fighting what the law has clearly stated and refusing to turn in their weapons is just further proof!"-Alton Schnee, Head of the Schnee Defense and Security Corporation, 12 years ago_

* * *

People used a lot of words to describe Yang before they met her, and most of them were pretty much more than a good enough reason for her to punch them in the face. Sure, she could handle jokes about her appearance and some lewd suggestions-in fact, it was part of how she roped someone in before they gave her valuable information-but one thing she couldn't stand were the assumptions about her based on her blonde hair.

Shallow. Vapid. Stuck up.

Bitch.

She had a thick skin, in more ways than one. It was how she got through most of life, and petty words normally wouldn't bring her down, but those words in particular cut through her like a knife through bread. Even worse was when she received a look of utter contempt or disdain from someone she cared about. Lovers, friends, they all had this look towards her at one point. Even Ruby.

"Why are you here?" her sister spat. It hurt Yang, seeing that gaze directed at her from family, but she didn't let it show.

"I  _am_ still listed as your emergency contact," she grinned. "Or did you forget?"

Before Ruby could respond, Yang felt a strong hand push her to the ground and introduce her face to the floor.

"You have the right to remain silent," a stern female voice told her.

"Wha-why am I being arrested?!" Yang demanded.

"Well, you broke down a hospital door, broke down the door with a dead Boarbatusk, and that door happened to land  _on us_."

Yang shrugged. Maybe that was a good reason.

"Tīni, let her up," a deep voice ordered. "You know we have nothing besides the door, and that's hardly a concern at the moment."

A sigh, then Yang was brought back to her feet.

"You really have to suck the fun out of something, don't you, Lucas?" the woman, Tīni grumbled before turning back to Ruby. "You know her?"

"Never seen her before in my life," Ruby deadpanned.

"I'm her sister," Yang said at the same time. They looked at each other before the blonde continued, "Yang Xiao Long's the name, leading the Talons to adventure is my claim to fame!"

The two cops, Kellman and Tīni, didn't show the slightest hint they were interested. Yang was pretty sure Tīni had rolled her eyes.

"We should let you two catch up, then," Kellman smiled softly. "We've got to head back to the precinct, but we'll keep in touch, Ms. Rose. Ms. Xiao Long," was the last thing he said before they departed.

 _They seem lovely_ , Yang thought. Sighing, she sat down on the chair next to Ruby's bed. For a while, the two of them sat in silence, Yang twiddling her thumbs and Ruby looking out the window.

 _Just say something_ , _Xiao Long. Anything._

"I um," Yang stood up awkwardly, "I'm gonna go...get some...food drink. Yeah."

 _Smooth, Yang_ , she thought as she rounded the corner.  _Totes smooth._

* * *

So funny thing about fighting a Deathstalker with something like, four extra stingers.

That. Fucking. Sucks.

Jaune couldn't help but think this as he was rummaging through the hospital's supply closet. Damn things could move despite their size, and they recovered even quicker. It was a miracle he managed to get away when he did.

_Man, I really hope I remembered all that medical stuff from-_

"What are you doing?"

Jaune turned around. Standing in front of the door was probably the most intimidating looking woman he'd ever seen. Her bronze skin matched nicely with her light brown corset, which showed off her powerful arms. The stitches in the right side of her lower stomach drew attention to the small amount of ab he was able to see in her stomach. Despite her skin tone (he was pretty sure this woman was from Mistral, more than likely Western), her eyes were a mesmerizing green, like an emerald.

She was beautiful. She could clearly hold her own in a fight, if her attire was anything to go by.

And she was going to completely fucking ruin his chances of getting out of here without any hassle.

"I'll say that again," she repeated, "what are you doing here?"

Jaune gulped.  _Play it cool, man._

"I uh, I'm new here. Just got told to grab some medicine for someone in 4-C," he stammered, using his 'wimpy' voice.

"Shouldn't you be wearing scrubs instead of a t-shirt?" She raised an eyebrow and brought a hand to his shoulder. "Is...is that blood?"

_Yeah, she ain't buying it. Plan B._

Jaune walked forward, shoving medicine in his pocket. As he got closer to the woman, his eyes widened as he tripped. The woman's eyes widened and she moved over to catch him, just as he hoped. Once her fingers grasped the front of his shirt, his hands grabbed her wrists and spun her body around. His leg kicked the door close right before his back hit the floor.

"Sorry bout this!" he hush whispered before getting to his feet and walking away. He took a left when he heard a loud bang, at which point he power walked like he'd never power walked before.

 _Stay cool, act natural,_  Jaune thought as he took a right, nearly running into a blonde woman.

"Sorry," was all they said to each other before walking in opposite directions. Jaune grabbed a black jacket hanging off a door and quickly covered his body in it, ducking his head down low.

 _Can't do front door, might ask for my information,_ he thought.  _Not enough ambulances to hitch a ride without making a scene...might have to go window._

Taking another right, Jaune found himself in an empty room, save for a short redheaded woman and a man sleeping on her shoulder. She looked up at him and waved.

"Uh, hi," he muttered. He briskly walked over to the window and looked around outside. No ambulances, no paramedics, just some bushes, and a bunch of cars from visitors. No way he'd be able to land on one of those without breaking one or both of his legs. There was the dumpster, but well...he'd been called trash before by women  _and_ men, but he didn't want to smell like it.

"Watcha lookin at?"

Jaune jumped back and clutched his chest. The woman had apparently come up to him at some point, and it was only because of the mini heart attack that he realized he needed to get a move on.

"Trying to get outta here," Jaune answered truthfully. He looked at her and grinned, "No insurance. Got laid off a few months back and let's just say my severance package wasn't anything worth looking at."

"Y'know, as a Hunter, I'm probably supposed to not let you get away with this," the woman answered, internally causing Jaune to scream.  _Of course_ he'd wind up in a room with a Hunter, possibly two, if that sleeping guy was one as well.

" _But,_ I'm sure you want to find out if your family or friends are okay after the attack, so good ol' Nora is gonna do you a solid, friend!" she grinned and patted him on the back before going to her friend.

 _Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?_ Jaune thought as Nora and her friend returned to him. Her friend, East Mistralian from the looks of it, regarded him with what Jaune could only be described as hatred for interrupting his nap.

"You sure your guy knows what he's doing?" Jaune asked as the other male flexed his arms and bounced on his feet.

"Don't worry, Ren's done this plenty of times before!" Nora reassured. "And it's always worked, nine out of ten times!"

Jaune raised an eyebrow.  _Wait, what-_

Ren's hands quickly struck Jaune's body. If he didn't feel the fists on his knees, forearms and forehead, the blond probably wouldn't have even been able to tell that anything was actually done. He felt himself tip back to outside the window.

"You'll be good in about 15 minutes!" Nora yelled before he slid out the window like a noodle. He could feel his body hit the wall and land in the bushes, but he otherwise felt nothing. No impact, no pain...it was like his body was on shutdown.

 _Well,_ Jaune shrugged in his head,  _at least I made it out._ "Really hope these 15 minutes go by fast."

* * *

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Yang asked.

Ruby looked up from her phone to her half-sister. She had that stance; arms crossed, leaning against the door, sunglasses tucked away. It was a stance Ruby had seen a lot that meant Yang was either waiting to be impressed.

"I called you, five times," she continued, "as my Talons and I made our way here to Vale. I called you as I was fighting some Creep and it nearly tore my throat out."

Ruby scoffed. "I dunno if you noticed, but that  _thing_ went off here where I live. I didn't exactly have time to call, because I was busy saving people, like a  _Hunter_."

"I  _am_  a Hunter."

"Not a real one," the younger woman replied in a dark tone. She clenched her fists and was more than certain that Yang was doing the same. "You just took the title so you'd get some money out of it while you traveled the world. You're just a mercenary with a fancier title."

Yang huffed, smoke billowing from her nostrils. Both sisters knew that they didn't want to have this conversation, not today, when one of them could've died.

"Look," Yang began after a short silence, "I know we've got our issues. But I  _needed_ to know you were alive, okay? I just...we can't afford to be at each other's throats. Not now," she whispered.

Ruby sighed and began to slip out of her bed when a knock interrupted her. Yang opened the door and in walked a young woman. She had to have been only a few years older than Ruby, wearing an all white jacket with black edging and skirt ensemble edging, with boots to match. Sure enough, her hair was white, in a neat off-center ponytail.

Ruby narrowed her eyes. Was that...

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she chuckled nervously. "My name is Weiss Schnee of the Schnee Defense and Security Corporation."

She could hear her sister suck gulp, but Ruby paid it no mind. Her attention was focused solely on this woman, with her fake words and designer clothes.

"What do you want?" she snapped. The brunette could feel Yang make a disapproving face, but it didn't matter.

"Well," Weiss continued, surprised but not deterred, "my father's forces are working with the authorities to find out who caused that thing in the sky to open. We'd heard that some Hunters had been admitted to this hospital and wanted to ask some questions."

"Like how much Lien will they take to leave this to you?"

"Ruby!" Yang scolded.

Weiss bit her lip, then replied, "I just want to know if you got a good look at the machine or person that created the wormhole. Once you answer that, I'll be on my way."

"You gonna go back to your country club and laugh about the commoners getting ripped apart by Grimm?"

That seemed to have broke Weiss. The Schnee heiress snapped, "Do you know how many people have died from the Grimm attacks in Atlas? 79. And about 50 or so are injured."

Ruby rolled her eyes, "Oh  _good for you_ , you can read a newspaper! Or is that what your butler does while you get a mani-pedi?"

"You dunce, this is serious! If you don't tell me what you know, you'll be putting hundreds, if not thousands of lives in further danger! Who knows if, or even  _when_ the next attack will be."

"I thought you'd like that, since your company gets their money from people's lives being ruined."

Weiss snarled, "Oh, I am gonna-"

Before she could take even so much as a step towards Ruby, Yang threw the white-haired woman over her shoulder and calmly took her out of the room.

 _Good riddance,_ Ruby thought with a smirk. Whether it was to Yang or Weiss, or both, she wasn't entirely sure. What she was sure of was that the Schnees were worse than Yang ever could be.

 

As a child, Weiss had done many things that could be classified as embarrassing now. Running around naked as her father's business friends came by, the ice cream incident with Winter's friends. But nothing was as embarrassing as being 23- _23!_ -and having to be literally carried out of a room so she wouldn't strangle that insufferable, little red-

"Put me down, you oaf!" Weiss hissed. She had no idea who this woman carrying her was and her relation to that  _esel_ , but she was not happy for the interference.

"If I put you down, do you promise not to go back there and strangle my sister?"

Weiss muttered, "I'll throw her out the window, more like."

"Good enough," the blonde shrugged before setting her down. "How about we go to the park down the street so you can chill? You look like you need it."

"I  _need_ information on what happened in that forest and to report back to my father."

"Tell you what: you come with me to the park and relax, and then we'll talk to those other Hunters you mentioned?"

Weiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could tell this woman wasn't going to take no for an answer, and she didn't feel like getting kicked out of a hospital for trying to strangle two women in a row.

"Lead the way," she waved a hand dismissively. The two women walked beside each other to the front of the hospital, separating only briefly as an ambulance came in, rolling a gurney down the hallway. From what both could tell, it didn't look good.

 

_"Caucasian male, mid to late-20s, broken nose and stab wound through the chest. Found at JJ's Diner about 20 minutes ago, Aura completely depleted. Looks like he tried to heal the wound himself, but didn't have enough to heal or it keep from passing out."_

_"We got a name?"_

_"ID says he's a Cardin Winchester."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of things
> 
> 1) Not sure if I said this beforehand, but Jaune is bisexual in this universe. It's a headcanon I've had in my head for a while and will sort of come back to bite him later on when someone shows up later in the story. You'll see, but it's not what you think it is.
> 
> 2) I know I said I'd explain Ruby and Yang's issues in this chapter, but this ended up being bigger than I would've thought, so I decided to split this chapter into two parts. The next chapter will be shorter and basically focus on Yang, Ruby, and Weiss.
> 
> 3) Cardin will return.


End file.
